1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a modified water heater system that delivers tempered water or other fluid to the user.
2. Description of the Related Art
In conventional water heating systems, cold water, delivered to a combined water heater/storage tank, is heated to a desired temperature in readiness for demand draw by the user/consumer.
In a direct demand system, such as is commonly used for domestic hot water supply, the apprehension of scalding the user generally results in fixing the maximum temperature to which water may be heated in the water heater tank, to a relatively low setting at or below 60.degree. C. (140.degree. F.).
However, such tepid water temperature in a stored body of water, can encourage bacterial growth. It would therefore be preferable, for sanitary purposes, if the water in the tank was heated to sanitizing temperatures to destroy bacteria or other potential growth organisms.
In Heeger U.S. Pat. No. 3,007,470, this problem is addressed, in an industrial setting, by providing a water storage tank separate from the main water heater/storage tank, in which heat energy is simply allowed to dissipate so that temperate water is available for demand draw. The temperature of water in the temperate water storage tank is kept above a fixed minimum by actively exchanging water with the water heater/storage tank on a signal received from a temperature sensing device. However, no means are provided to actively temper the water in the storage tank for direct consumption, and therefore, scalding water may find its way to the user in a continuous demand situation.
In Horne U.S. Pat. No. 3,958,555, several different embodiments of a hot water distribution system are disclosed, including a multiple shower hook-up in which a blending valve allows cold water to mix with hot water from the hot water heater/storage tank. The blended water enters a pump-activated recirculation pipeline passing the shower/discharge outlets, and unused tempered water may either be passed through a heat exchanger to restore heat energy dissipated while recirculating, or may bypass the valve blending in cold water to avoid further cooling. However, this system is complex, requiring an additional cold water inlet at the blending valve and an entire pump-activated recirculation system ancillary to the basic hot water system.